Motorsport Ireland urged to 'learn from mistakes' following death of rally driver

Kenneth Fox

Motorsport Ireland has been asked to  “learn from mistakes” made at a forestry rally in which a 22-year-old driver died after his car veered off track and ended up upside down on its roof in a flooded stream.

A verdict of accidental death was recorded at the inquest of Eoin McCarthy, who died on February 20th, 2022, following an accident at the Killarney Forestry Rally in Castleisland, Co Kerry.

The talented sportsman, who was described as a “beloved son and brother,”  suffered a global brain injury due to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest after he was submerged in water in a suspended state. He was trapped underwater in the crashed car for a period of five to six minutes

His navigator and co-driver Daniel O’Brien was praised for his valiant efforts to free McCarthy from the car.

McCarthy, who was from Dunmanway in Co Cork, was airlifted to Cork University Hospital (CUH) after the accident, which occurred at the fourth stage of the rally amid heavy rain and wind.

The event took place two days after Storm Eunice, which was the subject of a Status Red weather warning.

There was no mobile coverage at the stage of the rally at which the crash occurred, which resulted in delays in communication at the scene.

The inquest heard that MSI had failed to assign a designated area in which the air ambulance should land in the event of an emergency at the rally.

The air ambulance initially went to Mountcollins In Limerick but found itself unable to land. The landing site was then changed to Brosna, Co Kerry. The air ambulance ultimately ended up landing in an area quite close to the accident site.

Evidence was also given that the ambulance containing navigator Daniel O’Brien landed on its side whilst a second ambulance was unable to pass the stranded vehicle.

The family of O’Brien was later informed that he was in CUH when, in fact, he had been transferred to Kerry General Hospital

Meanwhile, the inquest at Cork Coroner’s Court heard that at the time of the accident volunteers had not been trained on the protocols involved in reacting to a situation which involved the deployment of the air ambulance.

One witness who was volunteering for MSI said that when they arrived at Mountcollins with the casualty on board an ambulance, they were informed that the air ambulance had landed in a different area. The change had not been communicated to them.

Barrister for the McCarthy family  Derek Ryan, BL, made a series of submissions to Coroner Philip Comyn about possible recommendations in the case.

During the course of the inquest, he spoke of the concerns the family had in relation to delays in the emergency response and the lack of a pre-designated air ambulance landing area.

Ryan stated that “foreseeable risks” had not been identified by MSI before the rally. He said that the accident had happened amid poor weather at a bridge. There was an absence of railing on one side at the site of the accident.

He said that MSI should require that every safety plan going forward identifies fast-flowing water hazards, bridges, culverts,  water courses, drops, embankments, and fast-flowing water hazards.

He said that MSI should have safety rails, barriers, and exclusion measures in place at areas of risk.

He also called for the introduction of a mandatory adverse weather protocol amid some confusion as to when exactly an event should be cancelled amid inclement weather.

Barrister Beibhinn Murphy representing MSI said that a number of the recommendations suggested by Ryan had already been implemented following the tragedy.

She also spoke of significant advances in tracking which have occurred in the years following the tragedy.

The family had urged  Coroner Philip Comyn to record a verdict of misadventure in the case.

Comyn described rallying as “an exciting and exhilarating sport”. However, he said that it involved a degree of risk.

He offered his sincere condolences to the family following their loss.

He will consider the recommendations sought by the family in the coming days. He will furnish his recommendations to the relevant parties next week.

Sgt Fergus Twomey praised the McCarthy family for giving their late son a voice at the inquest.

Speaking after the inquest, Rachel McCarthy, the sister of the deceased, said that the family wanted to thank all those who assisted Eoin at the scene of the crash

She said that their sincere hope was that MSI “learn from the mistakes of the past” and “fully implement any of the Coroner’s recommendations without further delay.. “

McCarthy is survived by his parents Liam and Nora, his siblings Conor and Rachel, his aunts, uncles, grand aunts and uncles, cousins, work colleagues at Wesco and a large circle of friends.

His requiem mass took place at St Mary’s Church in Rossmore with burial following in the adjoining cemetery.

His family asked mourners to donate to the Irish Community Air Ambulance instead of funeral flowers

Poignantly, the Irish Community Air Ambulance was the charity partner for the forest rally at which the fatal crash occurred.